Which medication has minimal effect on weight but increases risk of thrombotic events and possibly death in older adults?

Which medication has minimal effect on weight but increases risk of thrombotic events and possibly death in older adults?

• A. Megestrol
• B. Growth hormone
• C. Desiccated thyroid
• D. Insulin sliding scale

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing medications that pose a high risk of thromboembolism and even death in older adults, even when they have certain potential benefits. Megestrol acetate is an appetite-stimulating progestin often used to promote weight gain in cachexia, but in the Beers Criteria it is flagged as potentially inappropriate for older adults because it significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and death. This serious vascular risk tends to outweigh any modest or intended weight-related benefits in the elderly, making it the medication to avoid in this population. The other options don’t carry the same documented association with thrombotic events and mortality in older adults, so they don’t pose the same level of concern in this context.

The key idea is recognizing medications that pose a high risk of thromboembolism and even death in older adults, even when they have certain potential benefits. Megestrol acetate is an appetite-stimulating progestin often used to promote weight gain in cachexia, but in the Beers Criteria it is flagged as potentially inappropriate for older adults because it significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolism, stroke, and death. This serious vascular risk tends to outweigh any modest or intended weight-related benefits in the elderly, making it the medication to avoid in this population. The other options don’t carry the same documented association with thrombotic events and mortality in older adults, so they don’t pose the same level of concern in this context.